To Deal or Not to Deal with a Phony SWCC

[ZekeBathory]

So, I haven't been on AW in a dog's age because school (17 credit hours and working for Student Government) has me over a barrel, but something's been bothering me these past few weeks and I'm not sure how I should handle it.

A friendly acquaintance of mine has been casually remarking about his service since I met him over the summer. Now that I have a lab science class with him, I hear it twice a week. Finally, I broke down and asked him what branch and all that and he gave an account of how he was a SWCC in OIF. The only problem is, I've read a handful of books on SEALs and NSW and I noticed a few glaring inconsistencies in his story -- primarily that he attended BUD/S but he "couldn't remember" his class number and he called it "special forces," which I thought was a strictly Army term. He's shown me a picture and a citation from when he was in, but there were no qualifying parenthetical ratings on the citation and he didn't wear any kind of badge in the photo. As an aside, he's gotten a little...er...portly since then, which I thought was rare for any former operator, save for the modest beer belly.

I've tried to avoid talking to him about anything other than schoolwork since then, but I thought of AW and all the frauds you gentlemen have to deal with. Could he be legit and my casual research be off? If he's actually prevaricating, should I say something or just let it go? I'm just trying to do the right thing here and my inclination is to keep my mouth shut. But it feels awful to hear what could amount to "stolen valor."

 

[OUSOONER]

I know a SEAL from when I was at OCS and a conversation came up about fakes..he said a SEAL ALWAYS remembers his class number.... I know it's watered down but I will always remember my OCS class 18-09. It just sticks with you.. I'm gonna go on a long limb and say he's full of shit.

 

[Uncle Fester]

Here's a good place to start: POW Network: to Report or Investigate a Phony.

It's up to you whether to pursue this matter, obviously. We don't know the individual, you do, but it doesn't take long for a poser to go from "bullshit artist" to "criminal fraud". You see these articles and posts about busted fakers and wonder "what was this asshole thinking?" Usually it comes out that the person in question has been cultivating and growing his line of bullshit for a long time, and all it takes for bullshit to grow is for it to go unchallenged.

I would tend to agree with you, though. The SEALs I've known would never, ever forget their BUD/S class number, and refer it as "Special Warfare," or much more commonly, simply "the Teams". "Special Forces" has a specific meaning - Army Special Forces, aka the Green Berets. No real operator would get those mixed up, any more than a sailor would accidentally refer to himself as a soldier.

Just based on what you posted, I would guess that he was never in SPECWAR or a SWCC, but thinks that whatever he did do in the Navy isn't nearly as impressive as what he can invent.

Call him on his bullshit. You're doing him a favor.

 

[Schnugg]

Go here and have checked out.... http://www.navyfrogmen.com/phony.html

I checked on a friend of my father in laws, who said he was a SEAL. He ended up being the real deal and had no qualms that I checked whatsoever.

 

[Ken_gone_flying]

I know it's watered down but I will always remember my OCS class 18-09. It just sticks with you..

Dude, your hair hasn't even fully grown back yet.

 

[wlawr005]

I know A LOT of team guys, a couple of them are in my NROTC unit. If you have an ROTC unit, find a SEAL in it and tell him. They'll take care of it themselves.

There was a poser in a bar when I was in Newport with three or four team guys. Once they found out he was full of shit, he didn't come back to the bars anymore.

 

[haubby]

There was a poser in a bar when I was in Newport with three or four team guys. Once they found out he was full of shit, he didn't come back to the bars anymore.

Not to mention said poser just also happened to be in OCS at the time.

 

[Ken_gone_flying]

Not to mention said poser just also happened to be in OCS at the time.

Let me guess, Supply?

 

[haubby]

Let me guess, Supply?

I wish I remembered all the details. I know the Class Officers found out about the guy and he ended up getting harassed by the Staff for the remainder of OCS.

 

[Carlos Caliente]

I wish I remembered all the details. I know the Class Officers found out about the guy and he ended up getting harassed by the Staff for the remainder of OCS.

If said douche was in OCS at the time and lied about being a SEAL, that's an honor code violation.
I think harassment would be the least of what this guy should have endured.
Size 11 Boot to the front gate would have been more appropriate.

 

[Stearmann4]

Zeke,

He's straight out full of it. If you really want to burn him, take the time to go to www.socnet.com or http://socnet.com/forumdisplay.php?f=199, scroll down to the "SEAL Phony" area, post your intro and ask to have him verified via PM. There's about 3 or 4 very prominent (to include a retired E-9 and O-6) SEALs who have made it their avocation to oust phony SEALs. Tread lightly, they are the real deal and don't tolerate stupdity very well.

In any case, a favorite is to print out the findings and present it to the offender if he continues with his claim. Should the offender truly be an an ass, the moderators of the forum frequently root out contact information, call him and his employer personally. It's a thing of beauty! They also have a SWCC forum which might prove handy as well.

MR-

 

[Godspeed]

They used to have an actual SEAL authenticator website. I think it was authentiseal.com or something. You'd just plug in the information and it would respond within 24-48 hours letting you know if said person was a SEAL (I guess they had the master lists of who graduated BUD/s).

Back in high school I was friends with a neighbor of mine whose father claimed to have been a SEAL. It just never really computed to me.. He didn't seem like that type of guy. Was a VERY low income family that lived in a single wide. Later said family went on to win a frivilous lawsuit for 500k and upgraded to a very nice house. I submitted his name to authentiseal because things just weren't adding up and it came back saying something to the effect of "no person with this name, or any known variation of this name has ever been a NAVY SEAL."

People that sue their way to success really piss me off. Maybe I should send his info to that forum and let them rip him a new one. My old friend still believes his father was a SEAL. Sad stuff.

 

[KCOTT]

I get sick of hearing about these supposed "I was a Navy SEAL" stories. Glad to hear that there are people and ways out there to put these phonies to rest.

I just hate phony stories in general. I hate it when I go home for the holidays and am at parties with old high school friends and they're all telling their personal tall tales of valor. This one Air Force enlisted kid I graduated from high school with, by the stories he told about his "combat experience" in Iraq, you would of thought he was a highly decorated SEAL himself. He would talk about how he was almost killed several times, how he had to shoot back at the Iraqis, was part of a convoy being shot at by RPG's, etc. Are his stories true? Maybe, I don't know, I've never been there and am no expert in the area. Do I think some of it was definitely fabricated? Absolutely. I asked him what his exact rating was and he said he worked in medical, and with further questioning, I gathered he was the military equivalent of a civilian male nurse.

Anyway, it's good to see phonies called out.

 

[E26]

I asked him what his exact rating was and he said he worked in medical, and with further questioning, I gathered he was the military equivalent of a civilian male nurse.

A good friend of mine was a Corpsman, and eventually became a nurse in the Navy. When asked if he saw action, which he did but he's not open about, he would respond "no, but I saw plenty of wieners".

Modesty trumps all in my opinion

 

[KCOTT]

A good friend of mine was a Corpman, and eventually became a nurse in the Navy. When asked if he saw action, which he did but he's not open about, he would respond "no, but I saw plenty of wieners".

Modesty trumps all in my opinion

See that's the thing, I figure if you're legit, you wouldn't have to talk about it to make yourself seem awesome.